Stoker



Nov. 9, 1943. w. o. MARTIN STOKER Filed Sept. 12, 1940 orn gy Patented Nov. 9, 1943 U NITED "STATES PAT ENT' OFF 2,334,017. l I i g I STOKER William 0. Martin; Fort smith, Ark.,.assignor:t

William 0. Martin, Incorporated, Fort Smith; Ark, a corporation-of Arkansas Application September 12, 1940, Serial No.356g492] 6 Claims.

My invention pertains to mechanical stokers for the fire-boxes of, boilers and more particularly stokers for locomotives and relates to the distributor structure or distributing plate whereby the fuelor coal is introduced'irito the fire-box through the usual fire-door opening in the back wall of the fire-box; the application beinga continuation-impart of my pending application Serial Number 268,949, new Patent No, 2,242,587, May 20, 1941.

My invention has for its object the provision of a distributing structur or plate adapted to receive the fuel or coal and having means associated therewith whereby controllable jets of steam, or'other suitable medium under pressure, will be discharged across the plate and proper distribution of the coal or fuel inside the fire-box induced; the distributing platealso involving adjustable and removable means whereby a deflection of portions of the coal or fuel toward opposite sides of the fire-box will be induced.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a distributing structure'which is adapted to the varying dimensions of locomotive fireboxes and wherein that portion of the distributor structure subjected to the greatest heat may be renewed when necessary without need for replacing the entire structure which also involves pressure medium or steam jet providing elements which also function as fastening elements or anchor bolts for securing the distributor structure, as well as a coal delivering hood disposed about the firing opening, in place; the-anchor bolts eliminating the necessity of using steam headers and gaskets and also enables a standardized distributing plate to be used with any dimension fire-box, due to the fact that aslight turn of any anchor bolt will provide fuel distribution in any desired manner.

The foregoing enumerated objects and the advantages inherent in the invention will all be readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing where- Figure lzis a vertical sectional view of a portion ofthe-rear wall of a locomotive fire-box with my invention, alsoin section, applied.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 242 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion ofthe'back-wall'of a fire-box and a part of the delivery end of the stoker mechanism'with my improved distributing plate (as viewed from the fire-box-interior) and portions broken away toeillustrate construction.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectionalwiew of the distributing plate. Figure '5 is a detail sectionalview of one of the distributing plate fastening and, pressure medium directing elements. I

Figure 61s a detail perspective view ofone' of the fuel deflecting elements.

Although my improved fuel distributing mechr anism is applicable for use, with a" stationary boiler, it is more especially adapted to stokers'for locomotive fire-boxes and is therefore shown aplplied to the rear. wall of a locomotive fire-box, a

portion. of which is shown at: It; provided with the usual'firing opening. l'l',.about which the delivery receptacleor hood l2' is secured; the bottom of the receptacle orihood' having an opening to receive the upper end o-favertical riser l3 which communicates with an opening in the top of the horizontally disposed fuel conveying conduit of which a portion is shown at; M and which may be, of the general construction disclosed. in my copending application Serial Nu1nber'268;94'9. The fuel or coal travelingthrough the horizontally disposed conduit M is deflected upwardly through the riser l3, pyramiding in the receptacle, in aloosestate, until it falls by gravity onto the distributing table secured in-the bottom of the receptacle and disposed through the firingiopening ll of the fire-box. j v

The distributing table preferably consists of two superposed plates l5, 1-5, of width commensurate with the major-transverse axis" of theming opening ll andof'length sufficient-to extend a short distance into thefire-box; the outer ends of the: plates being preferably slightly narrower, as shown inFigure 3, to enable the plates to seat in the lower part of the fire-door opening;

The lower side of the bottom plate 15, inter,- mediate its ends as well as the lower side of" the side marginal'portions of, the top plate. 16,; preferabl are made arcuate transversely'asshownat l1 and I8, see Figure i, to conform to the. usual curvature of the firing openings in locomotive fire-boxes, which permits applicationto 'be made without necessitating the firing opening in, the boiler-head to. be enlarged; The ends of the plates are shown rectangular at S9, with the outer ends restingon and secured to the bottomof the receptacle or hood l2 intermediate ofthe back wall of the fire-box and the upper end of the riser I3, see Figure 1.

As the end of the lower plate 15 of thedistributing table which projects into the fire-box is in close proximity to the fire itis. subject to burning or warping and I thereforeemploy apair of. su-

ceptacle or hood [2, permits air to flow through the channel or passage, induced by the draft in the fire-box, which affords a cooling action for" the distributing table and providesprotection-for 1 the top plate 16. The top plate l6, as shown; is a,

provided with a smooth upper surface.'

The two plates are secured together intermediate of their ends by suitable bolts, as at 2|, with their heads countersunk (see Figure 4); while the outerends of the two plates are secured together by a number of anchor bolts 22,disposed vertically through suitable holes in the rear or outer ends of the plates and through a bracket 23 attached to the bottom ofthe hood or receptacle and through the flange 24o'f the riser 13; the anchor bolts being arranged intermediate 0! the riser l3 and the back'wall of the firebox,see Figure 1.

These anchor bolts 22 (of which a number are employed) are of the construction disclosed. in Figure 5, with the lower threaded ends reduced in diameter and slightly tapered, as shown at 22 and the bolts drilled lengthwiselyfromthe lower ends upwardly into the heads as at 22 Figure, 5,

while the heads are drilled from the sides tointersect the longitudinalbores, as shown at 25, thereby providing an upward passage, through each bolt, which terminates in one of the sides of the bolt-heads; The bolts when secured in place are so arranged that the holes or passages in the bolt-heads willbe disposed toward the inner end of the distributing plate. The upper threaded portions of the bolts receive nuts whereby the bolts and associated elements are firmly held in place while the lower threaded ends 22 of the bolts have the pipes 26 connected thereto; the pipes in turn being in communication with a suitable supply'of pressure medium or steam as shown in Figure 2 where the other ends of the pipes 26 are connected with a manifold 21 which is in communication with the steam space of the boiler; the pipes 26 being provided with suitable hand valves at 28 whereby thefiow of steam to each anchor bolt or steam jet element 22 may be controlled. .The heads of the bolts 22 extendislightly above the upper plate I6 of the distributing member with theirjets or bores 25 disposed substantially parallel and in slight spaced relation with the topvof the plate. These jets, provide anchor bolts, thus obviating the necessity of using steam headers and gasketsand the making of suitable joints as is the case in previous constructions'and enablea standardized distributing plate'to be'used with any dimension fire-box due to the fact that a slightturn ofiany bolt will provide distribution in any desiredman ner. j 1- In order to defiectthe fuel or coal toward'opposite sides of the fire-box, the inner end of the top plate adjacent opposite sides, preferably in proximity to the inner sheet of the fireboxwall, is provided with arcuate Wings 28 curving laterally. The outer ends (namely the ends disand deflected laterally. The wings 29 consist of the upper arcuate portion provided on its bottom 1 with a pin portion 30 threaded at its lower end; the pin 30 being of length sufllcient to extend through registeringholes in both plates l6 and I5, and fastened in place by suitable nuts as at 3| in Figure 1. In order to-maintain the wings in the desired position in keeping with the fire-box construction, I provide the bottom of each wing with a depending stud '32,- while the upper plate l6 of thedistributing table is provided with a number of arcuately arranged and suitably spaced sockets as at 33, see Figure 3; the sockets 33 being arranged so that the forward ends of theiwings (as'viewed in Figure 3) maybe moved toward or away from the inner side of the rear wall of the fire-box. With this construction,

the wings are notonly adjustable to properly defiect a portion of the fuel or coal to the side and posed toward the jets) ofjthe wingsare arranged .i

so that 'a portion of the coal will be intercepted back corners of any dimensioned fire-box, but

may be renewedwhen necessary without (destroying the entire distributing plate. f

With, my improved distributing platela .com-

paratively small displacement .or reduction say about two inches, at the. center of the firingopening is made, which is, less than the displacement ordinarily, made by the protecting flange 0211 average fire-door frame and therefore perm-1 ingress and egress from the fire-box aslconiveniently after; the distributing plate installed as before. Afterfthe anchor bo1ts22' have been set for proper distribution of coal inside the fire-box,.they are tightened against the hood bracket 23, with the jam nuts asshown'lip Figure 1. This construction permits accurate adjustment of steamijets for any dimensioned fireebox by, slightly turning the bolts before tightening the nuts; at the same time a defective Jet may be renewed or r'eDaired wlthoutdismantling or 'destroying' the entire distri plate; while on the" other hand, the distributingplate, should occasion require, may be removed and replaced from the deck of the engine. I

In operation, the fuelor coal, pyramidlng'in the. receptacle or hood l2, falls onto the smooth upper face of the distributing table andfhenee into the "paths of the jets oi'steam, or th ieable'medium,'issuing from the bolt-headaoaua ing the fuel to be more or less evenly distributed in thefire-box the flow of steam being controlled .by the respective valves28tl The exemplification shown in the drawingwis 1 believed to be thesimplest embodiment of the invention, which hasq'been described in, terms employed as terms of description and. not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my'invention as defln'edin the appended claims. y 1 What I claim is: v v 'I 1. In a stoker, a distributing table. adaptedto be disposed through the firing opening are mebox and composed of a pair of superposed plates removably secured together, the lower of the top, plate being channeled from end to end to i provide an airpassage betweenthe plates, while the lower face of the bottomplate, intermediate its ends, is of arcuate formation transverselyto approximate the curvature of the bottom: the

firing opening in the fire-box rearjwallfa .plu-

rality of anchor bolts whereby the outer endszot the plates are secured in place adjacent the; bottomof the firing opening, the boltsbeingibtured longitudinally from their lower ends,zwith the bores terminating in one of the side faces 01' the bolt-heads to provide jets disposed toward the inner ends of the plates; and controllable connections between the lower ends of the bolts and a steam supply whereby a plurality of steam jets across the top of the distributing table may be provided.

2. In a stoker, a distributing plate adapted to extend through the firing opening of a fire-box, the outer end of the plate having bolt-receiving holes while the inner end of the plate, adjacent each side, has a hole therethrough and a plurality of sockets arcuately arranged about the hole, coal deflecting arcuate wings provided with depending stems adapted to pass through said last mentioned holes and with tuds adapted to fit into said sockets whereby the deflecting wings are adjustably secured to said plate; and anchor bolts disposed through the outer end of the plate with their heads disposed above the plate whereby the latter is secured in place, each bolt being longitudinally bored from the lower end with the bore terminating in one side of the bolt-head; and controllable steam connections secured to the lower end of each bolt.

3. In a stoker, a distributing table adapted to extend through the firing opening of a fire-box and composed of a pair of superposed plates removably secured together, the top plate being provided with a fiat upper surface while the lower surface of the top plate at opposite sides and the lower surface of the bottom plate are transversely arcuate to conform with the curvature of the firing opening, the opposing face of at least one of the two plates being channeled from end to end to provide an air passage extending lengthwisely through the table from end to end, vertically disposed anchor bolts with their heads arranged on the upper face of the table whereby the outer end of said table is secured in place, said bolts having longitudinal bores extending upwardly from their lower ends with the bores terminating in the inwardly disposed side faces of the bolt-heads adjacent the upper surface of the distributing table; and a pressure medium supplying element secured to the lower end of each bolt whereby a plurality of pressure medium streams may be discharged across the top surface of said table.

4. In a stoker, a distributing table composed of a pair of fiat surfaced plates arranged in faceto-face relation and the face of one of the plates having a channel from front to rear to provide an air passage between the plates extending from end to end; a plurality of externally threaded anchor bolts whose heads are arranged on top of the table whereby the outer ends of the table plates are secured in place at the bottom of the firing opening in the back wall of a fire-box, the threaded portions of the bolts being adapted to receive jam nuts for securing the bolts in place, said bolts being bored longitudinally from their lower ends with the bores terminating in the inwardly disposed side faces of the bolt heads; and pressure medium conveying pipes secured to the lower ends of the bolts, said pipes having communication with a suitable source of pressure medium.

5. In a stoker, a distributing table adapted to be disposed through the firing opening of a firebox and composed of a pair of superposed plates arranged in face-to-face relation, the adjacent face of at least one of the plates being channeled from end to end to provide an air passage from end to end of the table, while the lower face of the bottom plate is of arcuate formation transversely intermediate the ends to approximate the curvature of the bottom of the firing opening in the fire-box; and a plurality of anchor bolts whose heads are arranged on the upper face of the table whereby the outer ends of the tableplates are secured together and to the fire-box adjacent the bottom of the firing opening, the bolts being externally threaded to receive jam nuts and for attaching steam conveying pipes thereto, said bolts being longitudinally bored from their lower ends with the bores terminating in one of the inwardly disposed side faces of the bolt heads, whereby jets of steam may be discharged across the top of the table.

6. In a stoker, a distributing table adapted to extend through the firing opening of a fire-box and having a fiat upper face and an air passage extending lengthwisely therethrough from front to rear; vertically disposed anchor bolts whose heads are arranged on the upper surface of the table whereby the outer end of said table is secured in place, said bolts being longitudinally bored from their lower ends with the bores terminating at the inwardly presented side faces of the bolt-heads adjacent the upper surface of the distributing table; and pressure medium supplying means connected with the lower ends of the bolts, whereby a plurality of pressure streams may be discharged across the top surface of the distributing table.

WILLIAM O. 

